Our Own Drum Beat

I've figured a couple of things out since our move.....we march to the beat of our own drum.

Before I get too deep into this thought....let me just say....I'm writing this for myself. I want to get these thoughts out and be able to come back to them when I need a little reminder.

Let me step back.....

A couple of weeks ago, we met another family who had just moved to NJ. We have several things in common....kids the same ages, adoption, moved from house to apartment, homeschoolers, several other things. We have been thrilled to hang out with them and to find new friends. Ross and Sam have been having a blast with them. They had been missing home and making new friends was a great distraction.

We started fast and furious....we would get an early morning call and we would start the day at the playground with them....which would turn into going back to one of our apartments....which would end up being an all day playdate. Everyone was happy....including the moms. After a week, I started realizing that we were hanging out almost every day....all day. My house was starting to suffer.....dinners were suffering..my energy level was suffering. Our new friends are very nice....very fun....and very active. What I finally realized is that we like fun , but we have to keep it in balance. We love getting out...playing....going to the playground...but we also need to re-charge by chilling at home. Plus...and this is a giant plus....even though we are relaxed in our home school routine...we still have a routine. I still have subjects and text that I want to work through. Our schooling was definitely taking a back seat to playdates.  I also started noticing that in the past week the boys have been bickering more often....they are clearly worn out.

So, my big epiphany is that we cannot do too much in one day. Meeting at the park for 1-2 hours is great, but marathon playdates are not. A couple of days a week is nice, every day is a bit too much. Maybe the beat of our drum is at a slower pace.....other people's drums may beat a bit faster. There is nothing wrong with either beat....they are just different. My second big epiphany is that I need to stop conforming to other people's drums....I need to do what works best for us. Often times, the fact that we do less means we will spend many days hanging out as a trio...or foursome if G is home. That is my third epiphany......family time is precious!! I moved here with the thought that we would do a few things differently....one being that we would spend more time as a family. That was happening at first, but things were slowly changing.

 This little post is about me getting a grip on our routine and realizing what is best for us....and getting our beat back to our rhythm. I feel like people are doing so many activities these days, people are on the go .....it just plain tuckers me out. My favorite days are days where there is nothing on the calendar...open and free.

Today, there is something on the calendar.....Ross has an appointment with a NJ endocrinologist.

Random Happenings :)

I cannot  believe how long it's been since I've been able to sit down and write. The weather has been so nice...which helps get us out more. We are really enjoying NJ. It's such a beautiful state and so much to do. The boys are doing a little lacrosse clinic....just to get to know the game. The coaches are really nice...it's been a fun way to get to know the town a bit more.

Grandma and Papa (G's parents) came to visit for a few days. We packed so much into the few days that

they were here.....including....boat rides, various shopping trips, diner dining(NJ is known for their fabulous dining) and after driving by G's office we made a spontaneous drive into Manhattan. It took us about 20 minutes to get there....never mind the crazy tunnel traffic. We witnessed some mayhem between 2 angry drivers and experienced true NYC traffic jams.

Not knowing that we were going to drive into NYC....I drank a huge bottle of iced tea and failed to make

a potty stop before hitting the tunnel and traffic. We were fortunate to find a quick parking spot on a side street that was very close to Central Park. Just so you know...the zoo cafe in Central Park only has 2 bathrooms.  There was a line out the door....oh my word...that felt like the longest wait ev-er! On to a subject with less TMI....the boys made themselves comfortable in front of a park juggler. They thought he was hilarious.

Since it was close to 90 degrees.....a little ice cream was very refreshing.We then decided to climb some huge rocks that were in the middle of the park....walked around a bit more....and then decided to drive back home.

That evening.....G and I were able to go out for a nice little date night. Since moving...we

have not been out alone. We had a great dinner and then went out for a huge ice cream concoction. It was a very nice weekend.

*I'm very excited.....we are planning to go visit a very dear blog friend and her family. Being the sweet gal that she is....she invited us to celebrate her son's birthday with them this weekend. We can't wait to meet her and her family!